Morning Sickness
See Also: Prenatal vitamins and morning sickness ... Hyperemesis Gravidarum (severe nausea & vomiting)
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Morning sickness is back after I've had the baby???
May 2008
I had a beautiful, healthy baby after nine months of daily, hard core nausea & vomiting. Figured out I was pregnant after my \x93stomach flu\x94 didn\x92t go away after 2 weeks. Birth was an instant cure, and I\x92ve been feeling great. Well, sleep- deprived and often stressed, but relatively great. Baby is now 4-5 months old, and I\x92ve felt nauseous again for the past 3 weeks, and I checked and I am NOT pregnant again! Not nearly as bad as during the pregnancy, no vomiting and I can stand to look at and smell food, but it\x92s very disconcerting. Am I \x93ruint\x94 and prone to nausea now or what? I\x92m hoping that it\x92s my hormones still adjusting themselves and will go away soon. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Really Tired of Feeling Nauseous
I have nausea and a reduced appetite when my sleep is disturbed. Before my son slept through the night, I had no appetite because I woke up during the night to breastfeed. (I couldn't understand my other nursing friends who said they were just starving all the time.) I had to really try to eat calorie rich foods when nursing to get enough calories. Once my son started sleeping through the night, my nausea went away and my appetite came back. Perhaps when you can get more sleep, the same will happen to you. Good luck!
You just described my pregnancy and post-partum to a T. I've recently found out that I developed gallstones while pregnant (more common than you might think! Often as a result of the hormonal changes during pregnancy...) and that this was the reason for the very sick pregnancy I experienced and the continued nausea that I still deal with on and off (especially as part of PMS now). The only thing that remotely helped me during my pregnancy was acupuncture (thank you Amy Taylor Acupuncture in Berkeley!), and just like you described the sickness was gone the instant the placenta was delivered.
My drs didn't even think to look for gallbladder problems as the cause of my hyperemesis, but now that we know this is the problem they've all said 'of course!!', and told me that I am virtually guaranteed a similar pregnancy in the future if I don't have my gallbladder removed. So anyhow, you may want to have that checked out sara
First, you should check with your doc. Also might get a consult with a good nutritionist. Digestive disorders can cause nausea. In the past I've had a ''sluggish'' gall bladder. One of the symptoms is nausea after I eat. From what I understand you are nauseaus all the time?....I'd go that route anyway. It's not normal to be nauseated all the time if you're not pregnant. Good luck. anon
I feel for you! I had morning sickness and throwing up every day for 9 months for both of my pregnancies (which were 12 months apart). I got it sort of under control with serious, expensive drugs for my second pregnancy, but it was still there....just not as bad. Then about 14 months after my second pregnancy, I started feeling nauseous. I freaked out. Took 3 pregnancy tests, all negative. Then about a month or so later it went away. Then at 19 months, it came back again. So far, 3 weeks later, it's still here. I'm still not pregnant, but also getting distressed. I thought I would never have to feel that way again and now I'm not so sure. I was going to wait a few more weeks and then talk to doctor about it. So sorry!
Natural Hard Candy for Morning Sickness?
March 2008
The only thing that seems to help my morning sickness (and I use the word ''help'' very, VERY loosely as I am being tortured by nausea day and night, but I digress...) is to suck on hard candies all day long. Things like Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers or Lemon Drops or bubble gum somewhat distract me from running to the nearest bathroom. But I don't like injesting all of those artifical ingrediants and preservatives into my body, especially since I am sucking on them all day long (will most likely lose a tooth--but it's worth it for ''some'' relief from this torturous affliction). Does anyone have a recommendation for a more ''natural'' hard candy or gum that has a pretty significant taste to it and where to buy it? Thanks! Sweet Tooth
I don't know of a natural hard candy (except horehound drops, which usually are coated with sugar) but one natural candy that I really enjoy are ginger chews from Trader Joe's. They're usually hanging in the snacks aisle from one of those clip things, near the nuts and such, in a green bag. They are tasty, real ginger, and about 20 cals per. Maybe worth a try. sorry about the torture
Try Preggie Pop Drops available at Elephant Pharmacy. Anon
Hi. I experienced the same thing during my first trimester. Finally I found these lollipops at Whole Foods called Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops, without artificial flavors or colors. They come in a bag of 15 with 5 flavors. Here's the website: www.yummyearth.com
The other thing that ''worked'' for me were those ginger chews you can get at Trader Joes, but I'm not sure of the ingredients. Maybe you could have a look if you go there. Good luck! Sweet tooth, too
since I'm practically a morning sickness professional (the whole time, both pregnancies!) I can feel your pain. I got some temporary relief from those ginger chew candies from Trader Joes...they come in a green bag as well as the Altoids Sours (probably not so natural). Lately, also, I have been chewing Trident citrus something gum that has helped. I hope you get some relief! anon
At Whole Foods and Natural Grocery, you can buy yummy organic lollipops. They are very flavorful, and a bit tart, in a variety of flavors. They are much cheaper in the bulk section than pre-packed. All organic, nothing artificial - but still sugar, of course! R.K.
I would agree that ginger candy from Trader Joe's may help morning sickness. However, the wrist bands you buy to prevent sea sickness work better. You can buy the sea sick bands in any drug store for a few dollars. If you wear them so the white plastic is touching the inside of your wrist, it should work. I would recommend wearing them all the time except when bathing. You can wear long sleeves to hide them. It takes a day to work, but then they work great! anon
Sorry i missed last post...go to ''Three Lollies'' webpage, they have all kinds of hard candy for nausea..including suckers. I've orderd some for friends going through chemo. dana
Does acupuncture help morning sickness?
March 2008
I'm wondering if anyone has had success with acupuncture helping relieve morning sickness. I have it pretty bad (all day/night, vomiting, etc) and have tried everything but acupuncture. My OB doesn't seem to think it would make a difference. Wanting Relief
I'm sorry you're feeling so sick. It's awful isn't it! My husband is an acupuncturist and he treated me for bad morning sickness during my pregnancy. It helped a lot, though didn't eliminate it completely. He has also substantially helped some even sicker women. This isn't recommendations so I won't post his name but if you want it (he's recommended here on UC parents) send me an email and I'll give you his contact info. Leah
I found that acupuncture helped with morning sickness, water retention, back pains and a variety of other pregnancy related issues. Abigail Surasky is who I saw. I think she still practices in Bkly. Congratulations
I don't know about acupuncture, but accupressure sure does. I went from in the hospital throwing up for a week and in bed for months to sitting up and behaving relatively normally with those sea sickness wrist bands you can get at any drugstore. They seriously saved me. I resisted using them b/c I thought it was total BS, but they really worked. I wore them day and night (and even got bruises sometimes, but it was worth it). Jenny
It definitely helped me. Didn't make it go away, but took the edge off so I could function. Try Marti Kennedy on Ashby. anon
I had nausea and vomiting the entire time for my two pregnancies, though I managed it better the second time. I had acupuncture by 3 different very highly regarded providers. Zero help; in fact, I would often be worse after the session. I do use acupuncture off and on; I have had luck for some other things with acupuncture. What helped me the most was eating small frequent meals (like every hour.. arghh!). Cheerios was my best crutch, and I kept a bowl of cheerios and milk on ice by my bed. If I ate before I moved on awakening, I was less likely to vomit. Also, high protein meals in the a.m. was helpful, especially early second trimester. I gained a lot of weight, but it was better than vomiting, and eating usually kept it under control. I refused any meds with my first pregnancy, and ended up hospitalized with IV hydration several times. I also used B6 /Unisom combo with my second, and some phenergan, but that was in the dark ages (early 90s) before better drugs. Zofran is considered fairly safe and effective these days. I would ask your doctor about it. Also, don't let my story scare you, most people clear up sometime in their second trimester. I turned out to have an autoimmune disease brewing, and I think that made me much worse. I had lovely babies, now 6 feet tall, and it was worth it. - Doctor with miserable pregnancies
Does acupuncture help morning sickness? The evidence is against it. The largest and best-designed studies consistently show that acupuncture is equivalent to placebo. That's not quite the same as saying it doesn't work -- the placebo effect is real! But whenever carefully tested, acupuncture doesn't appear to do what its advocates claim and its supposed mechanism of effect just doesn't correspond to what we know about physiology. See http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/acu.html
Prefer evidence-based medicine
I know you said you tried everything, but... have you tried the motion sickness acupressure bands? They work for morning sickness too:) Other than that, non-stop ginger (tea, sucking, etc) and lots of carbs have helped (every hour). Good luck! in the same boat
Unfortunately acupuncture didn't do a thing for my morning sickness. It did, however, save my life when my migraines went out of control in my first trimester. I can't recommend it highly enough! I would definitely give it a try, but be sure to see someone who is experienced w/pregnancy. Good luck, morning sickness is exhausting! So Been There!
Hi, I never had accupuncture while I was pregnant but I can tell you that I'm a firm believer in it. About a year after I stopped breastfeeding my right breast started leaking a yellow fluid and after two years of mammograms, and poking and prodding and my doctors telling me there was nothing I could do (just a part of life), I decided to give accupuncture a try. It's been almost two months and the leaking and pain are almost nonexistent now. My accupunturist is very in tune with women and really fantastic. Her name is Karen Cutler, she's on Dwight near MLK. Her # is 654-3873 I also have to say that overall I have more energy, am sleeping better and I'm still totally amazed by it. shawna
I'm sorry that you're having a hard time with morning sickness. I've been having very bad morning sickness as well, and it's no fun. The research that I've read suggests that acupuncture is not very effective. However, I posted a similar question to the recommendations letter recently, and several respondents indicated that acupuncture did help them. I did try acupuncture in my last pregnancy, to no avail, but it's hard to say whether it was a failure of acupuncture or an unskilled provider (I was not in the Bay Area at the time).
I wanted to mention a really helpful resource for morning sickness. The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto has a hotline for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting: 1-800-436-8477. They serve all of N America, so don't feel bad about calling. They research this area and have lots of very helpful advice for both medical and non- medical ways to deal with morning sickness. I highly recommend calling them. I'm now at 18 weeks and the nausea is finally starting to subside. I hope yours goes away sooner! Anon
It didn't work for me. I had pretty severe morning sickness the first 16(!) weeks of my 1st pregnancy, and had regular acupuncture from about week 10. I don't think I could say that it was the acupuncture that made it stop, since it took so long. And this was from a practitioner who'd successfully treated me for various problems over the years (chronic headaches, muscular injuries, insomnia, allergies), so I think he's a good one. Good luck to you!!!! Anonymous
Hi - first off - I feel your pain. I had hyperemesis with both my pregnancies. (Hyperemesis is an extreme form of nausea/vomiting - you lose 10lbs or more during the first trimester etc... hope you aren't that bad off. )Sadly, acupuncture did not work for me, the nausea did not respond to the treatment. It was helpful emotionally to be treated, to have someone touching me and trying to help. Given how awful I felt, any little bit of help was welcome. However, if you are vomiting in addition to experiencing morning sickness, I would suggest talking to your Dr. about getting regular IV fluid infusions. I had these 3X a week with my second pregnancy and although they did not diminish the nausea, they did help the vomiting. Best of luck to you. It's awful now, but you once you have that baby in your arms, you'll forget about feeling bad. keeping it down now
My wife found acupuncture helpful... but by the 8th or 9th month, be careful about your toes! My wife was going that late not for morning sickness, but for back pain, and one day the person said, ''Do you want me to stick your big toe?'' ''Uh... why?'' my wife asked. ''Sometimes it can induce labor,'' she said. And about six hours later? Labor started. So be careful with your toes! Pete
Debra Betts has a good book oriented towards dulas and midwives. http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/Book.aspx Easy to pick up some acupressure howto's if you can't go into the dr's office. I used some her suggestions on my wife when she was pregnant, and they were especially helpful for morning sickness, general aches and swelling. you can also get one of those 'sea sick' bracelets that stimulate pericardium 6 (PC-6) slightly above the wrist between the 'two' tendons. Also helpful was massage on ST 43, 44 between the 2nd and 3rd toes. bill
I don't know about acupuncture, but what worked for me was sucking on Preggie Pop drops. I'm 15 weeks and just got over my morning sickness a week ago. These lozenges worked wonders for me. You can check out their website at www.threelollies.com and you can buy them at several places in the Bay area. Over my morning sickness, thank goodness!
She did have to have several treatments, but one mom I worked for found it really helped her. Good luck
Didn't try accupuncture, but I had awful morning sickness (throwing up daily, multiple times) for 8 months with both of my pregnancies. The first one I suffered through after trying everything (except accupuncture.) I couldn't imagine doing that with the second so I did some research and found some information on Hyperemesis gravidarum. From there, I found a drug called Zofran which did the trick. Had to convince my doctor to prescribe since it was very expensive, but he did and I was much better. Did cause constipation though... Good luck!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperemesis_gravidarum
Zofran saved me.
There's no worse feeling than being nauseated day after day after day. Although acupuncture doesn't help, have you tried ginger and vitamin B6? Also, keeping blood-sugar levels constant by consuming more protein, fiber, and healthy fats helps. So, if you ever needed an excuse to order a large chicken breast from Popeye's Fried Chicken for dinner, now's the time. Just skip the biscuit and mashed potatoes (and anything sugary). And, split your meals into mini-meals to help keep your blood sugar constant. For example, if you wake up early, half of a hard-boiled egg before you get up can help. You can make delicious ginger tea by grating lots of ginger into hot water. Small servings of sushi with ginger might be a possibility if you can tolerate the fish/seaweed.
Dr. Weil recommends peppermint tea, too, to help quell nausea, even if you're not pregnant. Un-nauseated
I found acupuncture a big help for morning (anytime) sickness, though not enough to keep the nausea at bay by itself. I'm a nutritionist so although not vegetarian, I'm generally veggie heavy, but had to start eating meat with every meal or I'd be nauseated. The weeks I didn't go to acupuncture, instead of nausea, I'd actually be vomiting.
Ginger was too hot for me, so as per a naturopath's suggestion, I froze slices and nibbled on them or dropped a slice in my water bottle. Only use fresh ginger during pregnancy!
Acupuncture did help with a lot of other issues during my pregnancy so I'd recommend it. Good luck! Kim Cotton
Had success treating severe morning sickness with acupuncture?
Jan 2008
Has anyone had success treating severe morning sickness with acupuncture? And if so, can you recommend a good practitioner in the Berkeley/Albany area? I'm at the beginning of my second pregnancy and am having severe, 24-hr/day, nausea. I am hoping to avoid medications. Hoping for some relief
I went to Don Gates when I had morning sickness and he helped a lot. don [at] eastbaytcm.com. Talia
I , too had terrible nausea wit my first pregnancy. I did acupuncture for my two following pregnancies and was pleasantly surprised to find that it cut down the vomiting by half. Alas, this was 9 years ago and the person I used does not have her office anymore. Good luck! shoshana
I went to Christina Martin at Tao to Wellness on Hearst Ave. throughout my pregnancy. She was wonderful, and it made a huge difference. zun
No morning sickness 2nd Pregnancy - bad sign?
Dec 2007
I just took the at home pregnancy tests and it looks like I am pregnant. My son (who is 2) had me in the hospital for a week with vomiting. I found out I was pregnant with him in the ER b/c I was throwing up so hard I threw up blood. I was also kind of a lunatic in the emotion department with that pregnancy. Now I just have tender breasts, a teeny tiny bit of stomach discomfort and am behaving like a normal human being. Is this a bad sign? I know pregnancies differ, but this much? Jenny
I also was terribly, terribly sick with my first pregnancy -- eneed up in the hospital with malnutrition because I could hold nothing down -- and my two subsequent (successful) pregnancies I don't think I even vomited once -- just some slight nasea. Yes, they do vary. You can check with your dr. about hormone levels to reassure yourself. Congratulations! varied pregnancies
No morning sickness? Rejoice!! I really don't think they are tied together (lack of morning sickness and risk of miscarriage). I know I've heard of people saying that, but I really think it's coincidence rather than an actual sign or symptom.
I'm currently 7 mos. pregnant with my first child and have had not a drop, not one iota, of morning sickness. I feel very lucky compared to some friends who were sick the entire time!
Granted I haven't been pregnant before, but yes, I have heard that they can differ as much as it sounds like yours are doing. One of my girlfriends is pregnant with her second and in fact sometimes forgets she is pregnant b/c she is so busy running around after her 2.5 yr old and she hasn't had any of the NVP either. But, for now, her mind is very much otherwise occupied with her toddler. Congratulations! anon
I have been pregnant 7 times (two live births) and have only vomited once in all those pregnancies. It is the legend that ''good'' pregnancies have more morning sickness, but there's no hard data for that.
However, as a chronic miscarrier, may I suggest you ask your MD to order you a quantitative beta HCG and a repeat beta two days later, to reassure you that things are getting off to a good start?
You could also go in for the first ultrasound as early as 6 wks 3 days, the first date not seeing a heartbeat would be a bad sign. Since things are different this time, you may need extra reassurance. Good luck! No morning sickness, either
Jenny - First of all, congrats! I have no medical advice for you, but I can tell you that with my first pregnancy, I felt REALLY pregnant from the get-go: very tender breasts, exhausted, and horribly green around the gills. The second time around, I was convinced something was amiss, because I felt absolutely nothing for several months (not even breast soreness, which I assumed would be a given). So, no, I really don't think that being asymptomatic at this point is, in itself, a bad sign. Try to relax and enjoy! (And be careful what you wish for - 10 weeks into pregnancy #2 I started throwing up like Linda Blair...) Anon
Did you have lower blood sugar levels at the beginning of your first pregnancy? That can make nausea worse. Low blood-sugar sufferer
Looking for acupuncturist to manage severe morning sickness
Oct 2007
Has anyone used an acupuncturist that they liked to help manage (severe) morning sickness? I've never used acupuncture for anything before and so I'm hoping to find someone knowledgeable about working with pregnant women. Thanks! Looking for a miracle Throughout my last pregnancy I saw Portia Lee at Traditional Ways Healing Center at 6931 Stockton Avenue in El Cerrito. She is a very warm and caring person and extremely knowledgeable about and experienced at helping women through pregnancy and childbirth. She definitely helped me with the morning sickness (although I wouldn't say that mine was severe) and it was all gone by the time I was nine weeks pregnant. Her phone number is 510-932-4456. She has two children of her own so she knows what it's like! Tiffany
I went to Marti Lee Kennedy (http://www.martileekennedy.com/)for my morning sickness. While acupuncture definitely didn't make it go away, it did seem to help keep it a bit under control. Jen
I visited Don Gates at East Bay TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). He has a great bedside manner, and his acupuncture helped my morning sickness. It didn't go away entirely, but I was able to eat. You can contact him at 510-428-9430 or go to www.eastbaytcm.com. Tali
My acupuncturist, Bea Hammond, has treated a number of women I know who during pregnancy and while they were trying to get pregnant. Morning sickness, back pain, heartburn, constipation... all the lovely symptoms that come along with pregnancy. She's in Albany on Solano. www.harmonyacupuncture.info Her number is 510-495-4946. Jean
Morning sickness is triggered by pregnancy hormones and is made much worse by low blood sugar levels. Although acupuncture is no more effective than a placebo, there are some steps that are proven to help:
1. Before going to bed in the evening, have a small protein-rich snack. You now have a medical reason to eat fried chicken at bedtime. 2. Before getting up in the morning, have a small glass of ginger ale, and then sleep a little more before getting up. 3. Get up slowly. 4. Have several small meals during the day. 5. Ginger has actually been proven effective at reducing nausea, so have extra pickled ginger with your sushi. 6. Vitamin B6 supplements may make you feel less nauseated. Vitamin B12 may help, too. Ask your doctor for the recommended dose. 7. Get plenty of sleep. 8. Remember that severe nausea is associated with a reduced risk of miscarriage.
Later in pregnancy when hormone levels drop, the nausea will improve on its own. Low blood-sugar sufferer
Hello- I wish I could help you, but I had no luck with accupuncture for my morning sickness. I am guessing that the nausea you are experiencing goes far beyond anything that can be helped by crackers and ginger ale. Mine did, and I know how trying it can be. Remember that if you can't keep anything down for 24 hours you need to see your doctor. They will give you a test to see if you need an IV to keep your fluids up. There are also medications for severe nausea. I never imagined I would take medication during my pregnancy, and my doctor was reluctant to offer them, but I finally gave in when I couldn't keep my prenatal vitamins down, let alone any food. I tried two different medications. Neither worked for me due to side effects and I finally gave up. You may want to ask your doctor about your options.
Looking back, I wish that I'd sought out another accupuncturist, and if that hadn't worked, I would have tried another medication. I know some people will be bothered by this, but I ask them to think about what it would be like to have severe food poisoning for five months. Not being able to eat is not good for baby either.
I know how awful it is- you feel guilty for not being able to eat, and you'll feel guilty if you take medication, and you probably have a million people in your life who think that you just need two saltines and a ginger ale before you get out of bed. I would just look for a great accupuncturist on BPN and ask if they treat morning sickness. Don't give up.
Hang in there! It won't last forever! anon
Acupuncture for pregnancy nausea
April 2007
I read the archives but couldn't find anything newer than 2005. Does anyone have advice/recommendations for an acupunturist for early pregnancy misery? I am nauseas and achy all the time and I have been having a very hard time sleeping. Nothing has worked...crackers, nuts, etc Thanks, Karie
I highly recommend Don Gates. I went to him during my pregnancy for nausea, leg cramps and low energy. I left so much better after going to him. He was really supportive and knowledgable. You can reach him at 510-428-9430 or www.eastbaytcm.com Lynda
Concerned about taking medication for morning sickness
Oct 2006
I am 7 weeks pregnant and my doctor has prescribed Promethazine suppositories for my 24-hour morning sickness (tried everything else - ginger, lemon, vitamin B6, dry diet, etc.) The medication is very efficient at curing that but I am concerned about its possible effects on the fetus. I am averse to taking any medication during pregnancy and managed to go without it during my first (this is my second), but this time it was just too severe. If you could share any information about this drug, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you anon
Motherisk is an organization out of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto that runs a website and several information hotlines about what is safe and not safe in pregnancy. They have a nausea and vomiting hotline (1-800-436-8477) which can answer your questions about the safety of medications, and they are also extremely knowledgeable about the most effective protocols for nausea and vomiting. Good luck! Been There
congratulations on your pregnancy! around 6 or 7 weeks i started taking zofran, and then later added compezine, so was taking something for nausea every six hours through 20 weeks. (hopefully you won't go there) i delivered a very healthy 9 pound baby, who now at age 3 is probably smarter than both of her parents. i don't believe she was damaged at all and i very much believe that the baby gets all it needs from the mother - you are the one who gets robbed. as much as possible - stay hydrated. that really made a difference in my day. my doc pointed out one thought: there have been studies on the fda apporved meds on their affects on the babies, but there have NOT been studies on the affects of high doses of ginger or B6 and other herbal remedies. i never found any of that stuff worked for me anyhow. congratulations and best of luck julia
I had severe morning sickness in both of my pregnancies for the entire time 9 months. I threw up pretty much every day during the first. I tried everything you tried (and even more things like infusions) during the first with no success. When it started with the second at 4 weeks, I did some research and asked my doctor to prescribe Zofran or Amzamet. They both worked very well and there are no negative effects on babies. They are very expensive (like $1000 for 30 pills) so insurance is a must. I also took Phenegran at night, which also worked, but makes you sleepy.
I can't tell you the different these medications made in my quality of life during those 9 months. Feel free to email me with any questions Rachel
I don't know about the drug, but I've had great success with acupunture. Have you tried that yet? Hope you feel better soon
I have been using Safefetus.com to look up all meds I might take to make sure that they are safe during pregnancy. I looked up Promethazine and found it quite alarming that your doctor would prescribe it, especially in the first trimester. This is what I found:
Studies on animals show adverse effect and toxicity on fetus. No adequate and well controlled studies done on pregnant women. Drugs should be given only if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. Crosses human placenta. No adequate human data but suggested possible association with cardiovascular defects in 1st trimester exposure. Reported to cause neonatal respiratory depression and neonatal platelet dysfunction when used in labor. Hope this helps. Hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy! Christina
No morning sickness = higher incidence of miscarriage?
January 2004
I am in my second month of pregnancy and have not felt nauseous at all. Not even a little bit queasy. I did feel nauseous with my first pregnancy. Has anyone else had a nausea-free pregnancy resulting in a healthy baby? I ask because some studies I saw on the internet show a higher incidence of miscarriage when no nausea is present and I'm freaking out a little....
worried (not) sick
Congratulations on your pregnancy! My first (a boy) was the easiest pregnancy on the planet -- no morning sickness, not even a twinge. Nine pounds, six ounces and healthy as could be. Despite cravings for cheeseburgers morning, noon and night, I could tolerate just about anything and avoided whatever didn't seem appealing. But be warned -- pregnancy was not so easy with my second (a girl) who was born with a full head of dark hair. Old wives' tales link heartburn with the amount of hair an infant has at birth. In my case, I'd say it's true. Best of luck and enjoy the ride!
Don't worry - be happy! I never had a single instance of morning sickness. In fact, I felt great almost the whole pregnancy, and I've been blessed with a very happy, very healthy little boy. I hope that you have the same experience.
I was never sick and I our child is in perfect health. You can count it as one less thing to worry about-- and enjoy!
I never had a moment of morning sickness with either of my pregnancies, which were both wonderfully uneventful. I have 2 healthy children. Please don't worry, you are one of the fortunate few!
Hi there, I'm sure everything is fine with your pregnancy. I have two healthy and adorable (if I do say so myself) children (girl = 2 yrs and boy = 4 mos) and did not have morning sickness with either one. I have to say I'm glad I didn't do too much ''digging'' on the internet for info while I was pregnant since information like that would have caused me needless worry as well! The one thing that did seem to happen for me was painful (but not dangerous) edema later in the pregnancies - my friends who got morning sickness didn't have the swelling so much.... go figure. Plus I'm an ''old'' mommy (40+) so the risks in general were higher and not being sick was never an issue. Anyway, I wouldn't worry, just enjoy not being sick!!
Hi! I delivered healthy twins 2&1/2 yrs ago. They are healthy, bright, happy children and I had not one day of nausea! My first trimester I was EXHAUSTED and my sense of smell was heightened, but that was it.
I have been pregnant twice and didn't suffer a moment of morning sickness either time. My babies were both born quite healthy, and they are thriving today. I, too, worried about my lack of sickness because all of the books talked about how morning sickness is actually a sign that a pregnancy is going well. That may be true, but the opposite isn't. My advice: Stop worrying! Be very very grateful that you don't have to go through it and enjoy the fact that you feel relatively healthy. If you are really concerned, you can ask you doctor just to be sure. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.
I hope you get a ton of responses, to ease your mind that there is no relationship between ''morning sickness'' and the health of the baby.
I had 3 pregnancies, all resulting in full-term healthy boys. The first 2 pregnancies were nausea-free, although I felt faint in the first month of the first one. With the 3rd, I had all-day sickness for 3 mos and heartburn for the remaining months. Enjoy your good fortune!
i had a blissfully nausea-free and very easy pregnancy in general. my baby was born healthy as a horse. congratulations on your pregnancy and enjoy it!
I was never nauseous when I was pregnant, not even a little bit. I was also quite worried about it, but I had a very very healthy bouncing baby boy!
I\x92m due any day now with my second child and this pregnancy has been very different than my first. The first time around, I was nauseous and threw up a few times a week in the first trimester. The second time around, I felt a little nauseous at times but nothing near what I experienced the first time. This pregnancy I had odd headaches at night during the first trimester which I didn't have the first time. Both of my pregnancies have been completely normal. Count your blessings and try not to worry!
i am nearing the end of my first trimester and have not experienced one iota of nausea--a great deal of fatigue, but that's probably because i also have a toddler. in my first pregnancy, i also didn't experience any morning sickness and gave birth to a very healthy girl. if i were you, i would consider yourself lucky and enjoy the remainder of your pregnancy. you are the envy of many queasy pregnant women.
Both of my pregnancies were completely morning sickness free and both my daughters were about as healthy as could be. The increased risk for miscarriage is from a lower hormonal load, which doesn't make you as sick (or so I have read; I can't say with certainty that this has been proven or if it is just an urban myth). So my hormonal load wasn't as big. With my second pregnancy, I even had some spotting. Dont' freak. Be happy and put it out of your mind!
With my first born child I experienced absolutely no nausea AT ALL and with my second child I experienced ONE DAY of feeling very slightly queasy and both children were/are absoutely fine. I know moms who were violently nauseous with their first healthy child and then experienced mild to no nauseau with their second equally healthy child and vice versa. Medical science can find slight correlations with almost anything mostly because oftentimes the study didn't account for all possible variables. Please don't worry about this.
I didn't have the slightest feeling of morning sickness throughout my entire pregancy (with the exception of taking a pre-natal vitamin on an empty stomach--ooof), and we have a very healthy, happy baby boy.
Friends keep telling me that every pregnancy is different--so maybe you're getting off easy this time....which could mean I'm on deck for lots of morning sickness with my next pregnancy! Try not to worry and enjoy feeling well.
I had a very easy pregnancy also, with no morning sickness or nausea of any kind for the whole 9 months. My first trimester was pretty uneventful as well, and I read the same thing about morning sickness being a ''good sign'' that your baby is healthy. I was a little worried about it at the time, but now that we've got our beautiful baby boy I know better. My own mother did not have any morning sickness either, and I think I turned out alright. ;-) I wonder if that's just a myth fabricated to make moms suffering from morning sickness feel better? I'm sure your baby is just fine, just count yourself as one of the lucky ones.
I never had morning sickness. Not a day. No heartburn, no tiredness, no side effect except some sore boobs. As a matter of fact, I never felt better. I had a (practially) natural delivery (some relief in the last 2 hours) and had a beautiful, healthy baby boy. There is an old wives tale that says if there is no morning sickness, it is a boy. In my case, it happened to be true.
Be happy; you're lucky! I am 9 weeks pregnant with my second and am horribly sick, and it is so hard just to get through the day, especially with an active 2-year-old to care for. The only thing that is getting me through is prescription medication that is costing me $5 a day, WITH insurance!
Please, try not to over-obsess about symptoms. As a two-time miscarriage survivor, I can tell you that if you are going to miscarry you will, and if you aren't you won't. There's just no point fussing over every twinge, or lack thereof. It will only make you crazy. Plenty of women have lovely healthy babies with no sickness at all. I wish I was one of them!
I didn't have any nausea at all with my baby boy. He is perfectly normal and is now almost two years old...enjoy!!!
I never was sick for even a minute. they say every pregnancy is different! consider yourself lucky. as long as the doctor tells you everything is fine, try not to miss the puking. mom (who doesn't puke) to healthy 8 month old
I did not have morning sickness with either of my children. Both were (and are) perfectly healthy babies. I have never heard of a correlation between morning sickness (or lack thereof) and baby's health.
I think you are worried about nothing. I had absolutely no morning sickness and I delivered a healthy 8 pound boy. I don't think morning sickness has anything to do with the baby being healthy. Some people are just lucky enough to not have it with their pregnancies. Just enjoy and as long as you take care of yourself and your doctor is happy wiht the way your pregnancy is progressing, you have nothing to worry. Think positive thoughts as that will help you produce a happy baby!
I had no morning sickness at all. Ate everything I wanted, never felt peculiar. And had a perfectly healthy boy (now two and a half). My reading of the statistics seems to indicate that about 50-60% of pregnancies involve morning sickness. Which would indicate that about 40-50% of pregnancies don't.
Don't worry - I didn't have morning sickness and my pregnancy was pretty normal. For added measure, very few of my friends and co-workers had it either and there were no miscarriages among them.
You'll hear it a thousand times: every pregnancy is unique. I had not a day of nausea, and gave birth to a very healthy boy. I was 45 at the time.
Count your lucky stars! I never had one second of morning sickness with either of my pregnancies. I have a perfectly healthy 2 year-old son and am 4+ months into my second pregnancy without any complications. I think some people just don't get nauseous and it's nothing to be concerned about. As long as your doctor tells you everything is normal, I would just cross your fingers that you will feel well during your entire pregnancy.
Concerning a nausea-free first trimester... I am now 37 weeks pregnant and did not get nauseated at all during my pregnancy (except once during a windy drive to Mendocino - to be expected). I since have spoken to numerous women who had no nausea in their first trimester. I was surprised as well. I think about 30-40% of women do not get morning sickness - it's just that you don't hear about them. I don't know about any statistics on miscarriage, but I would just be thankful and stop the worrying. You can always check with your practitioner if you are concerned about the viability of your fetus. Good luck and enjoy!
Hi there. Don't worry, just be glad that you aren't sick! I am an older Mom (37) and I too was not the slightest bit nauseous during pregnancy: I now have a healthy 2 month old baby boy. I did a bit of research about this while pregnant as I was concerned, and found several sources that said that there is absolutely no connection between morning sickenss and having a full-term pregnancy. Research has found that the older a pregnant woman is, the less her chances of suffering from morning sickness. But, there is a much higher miscarriage risk for any older pregnant woman simply due to biology- hence, the connection between nausea and a healthy pregnancy.
I would not worry. Many, many women do not have MS and have completely healthy babies. I know it sounds easy to say not to worry because I worried the entire pregnancy, so I know what you feel. You really should be ok. Count your blessings! And by the way, you may still get MS! Then you can wonder why you wished it upon yourself...also, MS might just be queaziness to food aversions, not full on puking.
I have only had one pregnancy but I didn't experience any nausea and in fact had a highly increased appetite for my first few months. My son was born healthy as can be so I think it's just individual for each pregnancy and each person! Good luck on your second.
Consider yourself one of the lucky. Nothing about having, or not having, morning sickness can indicate if you will have a healthy baby. I have heard that sometimes it can predict the sex for your 2nd baby.. if you had a lot the first time and had a girl (or boy) and aren't having any the 2nd time you might be having a diff. sex because of different hormones and all... but I haven't ever heard anything about miscarrage because of no morning sickness.
Also- I never had morning sickness with my son and he was a big 9lb 9oz healthy boy with no complications whatsoever.
I'm a doula, so I frequently am reading about things like morning sickness and ways to cure it, but haven't ever come across anything that would relate miscarrage to it. Good luck and feel free to email me if you have other questions along the way- I'm more than happy to help!
I have had three pregnancies, resulting in three healthy baby girls, and never experienced morning sickness. Don't worry, count your blessings!
This is in response to the woman who is worried because she's had no morning sickness and is worried the baby might not be healthy. Well, I had such a symptom-free pregnancy that I did not even know I was pregnant until I was 5 months along! (I'm embarrassed to say that I am a 38-year old, very educated woman - not a brainless teenager)! Anyway, I had no morning sickness, no being tired, no nothing the entire pregnancy (I actually worked the same day I went into labor), and gave birth to a very healthy 8 pound baby boy in late August, who was one week early. He is now almost 5 months old and continues to thrive. Also, my delivery was very quick (less than 8 hours from the time my water broke to the time he was born). So, maybe it's GOOD luck not to have any of those nasty pregnancy ''symptoms.'' I wish you luck and you can contact me if you need any further support.
I had mild aversion to onions that made me kind of nauseated for about 1 hour of my pregnancy, and gave birth to a totally normal, perfect child. I think that so many people talk about nausea during pregnancy as though it were normal, and those of us who aren't nauseated just don't talk about it. Kind of like those women who go through menopause and don't have hot flashes (and there are LOTS of them too!). You're probably just fine. Enjoy!!
I never had morning sickness with either of my two babies (ages 21 months and 2 months) and both are healthy. The only old rumor I've heard regarding not having morning sickness is that it means you are having a boy - true in my case both times...
I'm happy to report that I have had two healthy pregnancies and babies with absolutely no nausea! (Just lucky I guess.) You may want to think about if you have changed your diet and if that could be the result of the lack of nausea. I read somewhere that sugars may be the culprit in causing the nausea. During both my pregnancies I was on a low carb/low sugar diet. Good luck!
I had two very healthy (now grown) babies with no morning sickness at all--they are also very smart! It has been my understanding that morning sickness has more to do with position of the baby in the womb than whether the pregnancy will be viable. Pregnancy is a time of great health, theoretically, so I can see no need at all to feel nauseous or sick! Enjoy your pregnancy!
Like you, I did not have any morning sickness with either of my 2 pregnancies. None! And I gave birth to 2 healthy babies. I think you should thank your lucky stars - pregnancy just agrees with you. At least that's the way I looked at it. Good luck!
Don't worry about it. I've had a successful pregnancy after several miscarriages, and morning sickness was not a sign either way. OBs have a tendency to say that morning sickness is a good sign, and means that the hormones are kicking in, but that wasn't the case for me or many other people I know (most of whom had no miscarriages). Don't let them make you crazy. Sickness is individually variable. Also, don't wish for nausea-you might get it eventually. I started getting motion sick/queasy when I was 6or 7 months along, and got to the point where reading on the bus wasn't an option, and my husband's driving (a little hard on the brake) was intolerable.
I'm sure you're going to get a lot of emails telling you to consider yourself lucky:) My pregnancy was nausea and sickness free also. It was certainly a blessing considering that I was in Asia at the time and the smells alone would have sent me flying home at once. Then, I was concerned after reading about the causes of morning sickness. I was convinced that there was something wrong with our baby, although I think a lot of women who do have morning sickness have these thoughts as well. My mom didn't have any nausea with either of her pregnancies so maybe it's somewhat hereditary. Hopefully it will ease your mind to know that our baby was born with all his parts in the right place:) Try not to worry too much. I hope everything turns out fine.
Another anecedote: A friend of mine had no morning sickness with her first baby. Then, baby number two comes along, and she's got nausea 24/7. So I'm not counting on getting so lucky the second time!
I, too, was fortunate enough to have a completely nausea-free pregnancy, resulting in a perfectly healthy baby. I also had read somewhere that no nausea could mean something was wrong, but in my case that was absolutely not the truth. Everybody is different, and as you are experiencing, each pregnancy is different. Enjoy how great you are feeling (just don't rub it in around any morning sickness sufferers)!
I had no morning sickness at all with my second child. All my other pregnancies were the opposite - extreme morning sickness. But with my second child, a boy, the first inkling I had that I might be pregnant was noticing that I had indulged myself and eaten chicken dinner three days running, at a restaurant opposite my college! (instead of the student cafeteria...) It turns out that my son, who is seventeen now, loves roast chicken and potatoes!
I was surprised not to feel morning sickness, but very pleased, and the pregnancy was very normal. All went well, including a natural home birth. I hope your pregnancy turns out to be just as worry-free and healthy!
My sister-in-law had two pregnancies where she felt great - not simply no nausea but she felt better than normal. She is on #3 and feels horrible - nausea/vomiting so bad she needed IV fluids. All boys.
Knock on wood, but I didn't have a signle moment of nausea the entire duration of my pregnancy. The result? An almost 10 lb baby boy, the picture of health. As long as you are in touch with a doctor that you feel comfortable sharing these concerns with, enjoy your good fortune and health!
I had one, just one, day of mild nausea when I was pregnant and I'm not convinced it wasn't due to something I ate. My daughter was born big (over 9 lbs.) and healthy. I had a great pregnancy! So don't worry you lucky woman, enjoy how great you feel, and get ready for your life to change completely.
Any suggestions for alleviating morning sickness?
Feb 1999
Any suggestions for alleviating morning sickness?
morning sickness.. eat fish. I realize eating anything sounds foolish but high protien helps a lot. Cured me and my friend who was 24 hrs sick still at 6 month finialy gave up her vegetarian lifestyle of many many years and almost instantly felt better and maintained feeling better with well time tuna fish or turkey sandwiches. kimberly
I had very uncomfortable morning sickness well past the third month for two pregnancies, and found relief from eating crystallized ginger. The best I found was available at Peet's coffee stores. People told me ginger tea was also beneficial, but I never tried that. I didn't try acupuncture. I did try pressing on the points on my wrist and hand that supposedly calm queasiness, and that didn't do anything. Laurie
I had morning sickness 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the first five months of my pregnancy...I was trying very hard to stay on a balanced diet, without any caffeine (ordinarily a staple of my diet), or any of the other bad foods. But for all my good intentions, I couldn't keep anything down, and I knew that wasn't any good. So, I know this is a no-no, but I figured if it helped me keep something down, that was better than eating practically nothing: I found a few sips of Coke whenever things were about to get bad really helped me out. Who knows, maybe it was the bubbles and seltzer would have worked as well, but you might give it a shot. No advice on acupuncture though, sorry. Heather
I had morning sickness throughout my entire pregnancy with my son. The only thing that helped reduce the nausea (and I tried all the standard cures) was acupuncture. Made a big difference. If you do try acupuncture, make sure you see a reputable practitioner who uses disposable needles. Good luck! Mal
My morning sickness was so severe that I had to receive i.v. infusions twice a week to prevent dehydration (my doctor wanted me to have them 3 times a week but I could not take off any more time from work). The infusions helped because dehydration will cause even more nausea. I was so sick that I was eating 1 small meal about every three days until I was 6 1/2 months pregnant. By that time, my ob/gyn (Dr. Streitfeld of Omni) sent me to see a friend of his who used hypnosis in his practice (who is a burn surgeon at Alta Bates. It was either that or hospitalize me and feed me through a tube starting at 7 months!). Well, I'm not much of a believer, but it certainly helped. After two sessions I was able to hold down some water. The nausea wasn't entirely gone, but it was bearable. You may want to try something along those lines. Also, the rare times I was able to eat, it was generally something sweet. Dr. Streitfeld told me he noticed that in some of his patients the morning sickness seemed to be alleviated some by small amounts of sugar. You may want to try some hard candy like jolly ranchers or such. Finally, you may want to talk with your doctor about it. I don't recall if you mentioned how far along you are. Usually, morning sickness starts to subside around the 12th week when the human chorionic growth hormones starts to decrease. In some women, however, the hormone level doesn't drop and can result in excess vomiting due to severe morning sickness, a condition called hyperemesis. It's not dangerous if dehydration is prevented. It is, however, bloody miserable!! Good luck. I hope you start to feel better real soon. Try to be positive--I was told that the sicker the mother, the healther the baby. I truly feel for you as I've been there!